'He'll always be here': Baseball teams pay tribute to fallen son, friend, teammate

Mar. 27—The Rio Grande Ravens played baseball on Wednesday, which in hindsight might have been the easiest part of this most difficult day.

They won a baseball game, too. And that was a dose of medicine for their wounds.

"One of our players, he's crying. He said this is our first game without Isaac," Rio Grande head coach Orlando Griego said. "I said, no, he was here today. He'll always be here."

About 27 hours after Rio Grande junior Isaac Venzor Prado, 17, died at University of New Mexico Hospital, the Ravens were back on the field Wednesday afternoon at Eldorado.

That Rio Grande eventually won 8-7 was secondary to the emotions of the day as there was a loving and moving pregame tribute to Venzor Prado.

He collapsed while working out Sunday at the Rio Grande High track facility. He died about 1 a.m. Tuesday. Griego said his heart simply stopped.

The team voted to play on Wednesday in his honor.

"It was pretty tough," senior Adan Marquez said. He homered in the win. "Everyone was in their feels. We were sad, we were upset, but it all came down to playing for each other. As a brotherhood, as a team.

"Isaac wouldn't want us to postpone our lives," Marquez added. "He'd want us to continue, play our best baseball and come out and get a 'W.' "

Rio Grande scored a run in the top of the eighth to take an 8-7 lead; the game ended on a double play, and the Ravens had something, finally, to smile about and celebrate this week.

"This one goes to Isaac," Marquez said.

Among the several hundred fans in attendance, the Manzano baseball program came out to show its support. And coaches and athletes from other schools in the city were also there to show their solidarity.

Rio Grande's players wore a "26" patch — Venzor Prado's number — that was stitched just above the numbers on the back of their jerseys.

Rio Grande, with Eldorado's help, agreed on a ceremonial intentional walk before the game's official first pitch. On ball four, Venzor Prado's parents walked down the first base line, holding their son's gray jersey between them.

Eldorado flew its flag beyond the outfield fence at half staff. There was also a moment of silence for Venzor Prado.

Both teams later circled the mound, with family members close by.

Moments later, both teams huddled close, and said "1-2-3 Isaac!" A white dove was released.

But the most gut-wrenching scene from the pregame ceremony was the sight of Rio Grande's players lined up, waiting to hug Venzor Prado's mother, Georgina Prado. She sobbed quietly several times as the Ravens held her tight. All of them handed her a rose.

"I have no words to say thanks to all the team, the school, all his friends," Georgina Prado said softly in an interview during the game. She sat in the front row for the first few innings, those flowers gathered at her feet.

"Bless her heart," Marquez said. "She lost a son, she lost a great soul."

Griego said he had one pitcher lined up to start Wednesday's game, but Lane Shrader came to him and said he wanted the ball instead.

"There were times we felt it was difficult to play without him," Shrader said. "Toward the end of the game, we knew we needed to win this game for Isaac. We didn't want to play without him, but at the same time we wanted to win for our brother."

Venzor Prado moved to the metro area from Mexico only a few months ago.

"He was a really kind kid, a really passionate guy," said his uncle, Eugenio Prado. "He would always put his family and friends above everything."

Which is why his teammates felt so strongly about playing Wednesday.

"Maybe not everybody knew who Isaac was," Shrader said, "but they knew that Isaac was a great, loving human being. That he always just wanted to make everyone laugh and smile. He was there for everyone, no matter who you were. You didn't have to be the same race, color, ethnicity ... nothing. He was there for you no matter what. He saw everyone as family."

Rio Grande is going to honor Venzor Prado again at the Ravens' home game on Saturday against Cibola. Griego said the scoreboard would be named for him, and was hoping to have it ready in time for Saturday.

Griego said the result Wednesday didn't really matter to him, and said win or lose, it wouldn't have mattered to Venzor Prado, either.

"Today," said Griego, a new father himself for the first time, "was about brotherhood and love."